After a McDonald’s Breakup, Will Heinz Embrace the King?

McDonald’s said last week it had kicked the ketchup giant out of its restaurants because of Heinz’s affiliation with rival Burger King: the Whopper maker’s former CEO, Bernardo Hees, took the reins at Heinz in June, when the Brazilian private-equity firm running Burger King, along with other investors, took over Heinz.

The immediate hit to Heinz’s sales from the McDonald’s move is limited. In the U.S., Heinz was only served in McDonald’s restaurants in two markets: Minneapolis, the nation’s 47th biggest city, and Pittsburgh, No. 61, according to U.S. Census data. A bigger blow for Heinz may be internationally, where McDonald’s has about 60% of its some 35,000 restaurants, which could have made good entry points for the U.S. condiment maker to gain brand recognition overseas.

Heinz had long coveted greater access to the Golden Arches, and the symbolic blow of being ousted by the world’s biggest restaurant chain has to hurt. So analysts and marketers are wondering whether Heinz’s corporate cousin Burger King might offer some recompense.

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